Thursday, July 1, 2010

Take You to Another World Contest Day #11: Shayla Black

Most of you know Shayla's a friend of mine, and judging from the response to her erotic suspense, Delicious, you know she's a really good writer as well. Today, she's here to talk about Entice Me at Twilight, book four in her Paranormal Doomsday Brethren series, and if you haven't tried this series yet, you're seriously missing out. Leave a comment below for a chance to win Possess Me at Midnight, book three in the series.

Blurb

In national bestselling author Shayla Black’s electrifying new novel, the Doomsday Brethren fight their mortal enemy for the newest weapon in a bloody magical war: the only woman a magical warrior shouldn’t claim…and the one he can’t resist.

Dangerously handsome Simon Northam, Duke of Hurstgrove, and his uptight barrister brother hardly get along, but crashing Mason’s wedding and stealing his fiancée take sibling rivalry to a new level. Duke’s family knows nothing of his magical prowess or the Doomsday Brethren, so how can he explain that mankind’s fate lies with the beautiful, tenacious bride he longs to seduce for himself?

Felicia is an Untouchable, a rare human whose presence disables magic—even the impenetrable forces surrounding Morganna le Fay’s tomb. The evil witch’s malicious powers could propel nefarious wizard Mathias to ultimate world domination . . . if he can resurrect her. To conceal herself, Felicia must heed her simmering desires to mate with Duke, but he risks binding his life—and sanity—to a lover whose loyalty may be forever torn. He faces a terrible choice: betray his brother for ultimate survival . . . or lose the woman who tempts him beyond control.ExcerptDuke had walked perhaps twenty meters down the corridor when the flock of young beauties darted for him again. He groaned. Not now…

ExcerptThrough the window behind him, a flash bulb went off. Paparazzi, damn them. Duke had little doubt these images would appear on some tabloid or another come morning.At his side, Ice chuckled. “Right hell to be so popular. Are these the same girls who surrounded you earlier?”“I think.” He hadn’t looked that closely.Searching for a gentle but insistent way to throw them off, Duke said, “Ladies, there will be plenty of time after the—”One pressed her lips to his, cutting him off in mid-sentence. Another stepped behind him and wrapped her arms around his middle, then whispered exactly what she’d like to do to him if only they had a bit of privacy—and she wasn’t shy. The rest swarmed around, not allowing him an inch of air.Bloody hell! Not that he hadn’t experienced such unladylike behavior before, but at his brother’s wedding, steps outside the chapel?As he tried to jerk free, someone shoved the women aside with a feminine growl, then grabbed him by the arm and whirled him around. Felicia, in white lace, surrounded by a halo of golden curls. And she looked furious.“Every time I see you, you’ve surrounded yourself with panting women. Are you mad or simply unable to control your libido for a few minutes? I’m attempting to have an important conversation and your behavior is disruptive. I don’t know how your mother or brother abide this.”

She sent a severe scowl to the women still hovering about, trying to gain his attention. “You all have seats somewhere. Find them!”The women backed away—though not happily. At the moment, Duke could have kissed her for freeing him. Hell, he wanted to kiss her anyway. Deeply. Lips, tongues, clothes dropping to the floor as he lowered her to the bed…No, I must not think that about Mason’s bride.“You will not embarrass Mason or your mother this way,” Felicia vowed in a low-voiced breath. “This stops now, or I’ll throw you out myself.”

Too bad Duke was too distracted by the fact that, this close, he could see the glistening of Felicia’s pouty red lips under their gloss…and right down the front of her gown to the sweet swells of her breasts. Heat ripped through his blood. Need compelled him. Grab her. Take her. Possess her. The words were a chant in his brain, loud and getting louder until he could scarcely remember why he was resisting.Honor. Family harmony.Damn it. He sighed.Felicia gripped his elbow tighter and pursed her plump lips in displeasure. Bloody hell, she smelled like gardenia and female. Duke only got harder. Blast it, he hoped his dinner jacket covered that. Somehow, he had to keep his hands to himself…

Question of the Day: I love couples whose chemistry literally sizzles on the page and work really hard to write those kinds of relationships in my own books as well. So I thought I'd ask what some of your favorite couples are from romance novels: Some of my favorites are Ranger and Stephanie (Evanovich), Adam and Mercy (Briggs) and Blue and Dean (SEP). Leave a comment for a chance to win Possess Me at Midnight.

Shayla has written some of my all-time favorite couples! I especially loved the chemistry between Kimber & Jesse in 'Decadent', and Morgan & Jack in 'Wicked Ties'. Makes me want to go back and read both books again!

Andi and Tristan from Cindy Miles' Spirited Away, Heather and Jean-Luc from Kerrelyn Sparks' The Undead Next Door, Grace and Darius from Gena Showalter's Heart of the Dragon, and Néomi and Conrad from Kresley Cole's Dark Needs at Night's Edge.

So many hot couples out there but when it comes to chemistry, my favorites are Eve/Roarke, Cat/Bones, and Kate/Curran. Sizzling just doesn't even begin to describe them. Also an honorable mention to Sookie/Eric - two characters who really shouldn't be together but just can't seem to stay apart.